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In November, I posted a video about my experience with a very unethical doctor. If you haven't seen that video yet, check it out here. This video is an update about what has happened since I filed a formal complaint. I am not at all satisfied and plan to pursue this issue further. This video is in English and has Closed Captions. I will also provide a transcript of the video below for anyone who may need it.

Transcript:Hey everyone! So, some of you may remember that, in November, I posted a video about00:08my experience with a very unethical GI doctor.00:16If you haven't seen that video yet, it's pretty crucial to understanding this00:20video, so I will link it in the description box down below.00:23You should probably go watch that first before you watch this because this is a follow up.00:29I did file a formal complaint and I got this fabulously frustrating letter back from them.00:41Now, I'm not gonna show you the actual front of the letter because00:44I don't want to get in trouble for, like, sharing confidential information or00:49using the facility's name. I don't know. But I am going to tell you00:57what they said and talk about how I plan to continue to pursue this issue01:04because this is this is definitely not satisfying at all, because almost01:08everything they said is wrong. So, as for the doctor, we'll just call him doctor unethical.01:14We'll just call him doctor unethical so that he may remain anonymous.01:19So, this is the letter that I got from the manager of01:24digestive diseases and network endoscopy.01:29This is what she said: "I am writing in follow-up to01:33you and your mother's complaint regarding your visit with Dr. Unethical on 11/8/17.01:39I completed a review of your concern on 12/ 6/2017."01:44Ok, good you reviewed it. Let's see what happens now.01:48So, "your input gives us the opportunity to review our services and make changes when necessary"01:56Except that you're not going to make any changes.01:59"Your complete satisfaction is very important to us."02:02Obviously not, as you will see later in the letter.02:07"Upon reviewing your appointment time and the associated registration times on two occasions02:14with Dr. Unethical, it appears you arrived a few minutes late each time."02:20Okay, let's stop there for a moment. I was not late on either of these occasions.02:27The reason that this manager thinks I was late is because their system doesn't show you as checking in02:37until they finish checking you in and getting you all registered for the appointment.02:43And every single time that I've gone to this office, they take at least 15 to 20 minutes to check me in.02:51I think it may have even been around a half hour one time,02:54because they cannot seem to manage to get my insurance information and my02:59name correct. So I'm not sure how that's my fault.03:04My name changed a little over a year ago so you think they'd have that under control right now.03:10My insurance changed, I think, almost a year ago so they should have that under control by now too.03:16Let's continue: "It's important for patients to be on time. . . "03:22blah blah blah blah I was on time so I already know that.03:28So, the first occasion that I was supposedly late,03:32which I'm pretty sure is the time that they took about a half an hour to check me in,03:38"Dr. unethical did fit you back into his schedule." Wow, what a hero.03:45"Unfortunately it was after a patient who had a 60 minute appointment this is what caused the delay."03:54No, no, that is not what caused the delay. Because I remember that particular day,03:59and I had my mom there with me. So, even though my memory is not-so-hot04:04I have someone to back me up on this one.04:08for at least a half an hour, maybe even 45 minutes, I was sitting in "the little room" as I like to call it.04:19You know, after they call you out of the waiting room and you're in the exam room.04:22I sat in the exam room and Dr. unethical was sitting at his little desk on his computer for 30 to 45 minutes;04:32Probably about 45 minutes. And, I had waited in the waiting room for almost an hour before that so that just doesn't add up.04:43He wasn't with a patient. He was sitting at a desk04:47and he didn't even look like he was really on the computer. He didn't look like he was doing anything.04:52So, he was not in with a patient and I wasn't late, so those are both wrong.05:01"In regards to the second occasion on 11/ 8/2017"--this is the day I had the major issue and walked out05:07as you can see in the video down below. if you haven't seen it yet.05:12"It was reported to me you were yelling at the provider upon overhearing doctor Dr. unethical05:22talking to a nurse about your late arrival."05:26Ok, two things about this. First of all, I did not "overhear" him.05:32He whipped opened the door and started screaming at the nurse that was in the room with us.05:39There was no "overhearing". He was not, like, in the hallway saying I was late--05:46even if he was that still wouldn't really be okay, but no. I was changing into a gown05:50and he burst in the room and started yelling about how we were late.05:56And, in regards to me yelling at him, uh yeah I did yell at him.06:02Yeah, that's the only thing in here that they're right about. I did yell at him because he was yelling at me06:10where here they say I was yelling, and it was "also reported that06:15Dr. unethical did not raise his voice at all." Oh, he's so wonderful isn't he? No!06:23He came in the room screaming at the nurse right in front of me; burst in the room06:30opened the door, slammed the door, started screaming right in front of me.06:35I did not "overhear" and he most certainly raised his voice. And then yes I did raise mine,06:40which is the only thing they're right about in this letter.06:43And then they always like to wrap these things up with, like, a nice little sentence at the end,06:49Like it's supposed to make you, you know, satisfied again.06:53"It is our commitment to do everything possible to ensure your experience at this Center--07:00I won't name it I don't want to get in trouble--is positive in every way."07:05Yeah, obviously that's not your commitment since you told, I think, like three or four lies07:15in this thing here and you're not doing anything about this doctor. So, I actually07:21plan to appeal this further to the medical director of the facility, and I07:26will let you all know how that goes. And, I realize that they may not do anything,07:33but I intend to take this as far as I possibly can, simply because I don't want07:39other people to have to have this experience.07:43And other ways that I plan to try to help other people to avoid this kind of experience07:48is writing online reviews for this particular doctor. I know that when I need a new provider,07:55I typically go online and look at the reviews, and if they have some bad07:59reviews, sometimes it can cause you to kind of look twice. And I definitely want08:04to make people look twice before they go to this guy and possibly get treated the08:09way I did. So, that's what's happening with that.08:12Thanks for watching my video. I'm gonna try to start posting here more often.08:19It'll be a mix of English videos and ASL videos but everything is always captioned in English,08:25regardless of if I'm speaking or if I'm signing.08:30And you can click that subscribe button down there. And ,next to the subscribe button, there's a little bell.08:35And if you click that bell you'll get notified every time I post the new video.08:38And, sooner or later-- probably later because it's a doctor's office-- you can find out how08:45this whole thing is going. But, in the mean-time, I'll have some other content for you guys as well.08:50Thank you for watching, bye!

What is International Week of the Deaf?The International Week of the Deaf (IWD) is celebrated each year during the last full week in September. It was first initiated in Rome, Italy in 1958 by the World Federation for the Deaf.It is celebrated in September to commemorate the first meeting of the WFD

Why is IWD important? The WFD states that The International Week of the Deaf is "the only week in a yearthat sees highly concerted global advocacy to raise awareness about the Deaf Community on different levels." Each year, there is a theme for the week. This year, the theme is "full inclusion with sign language". The WFD expands on this theme by stating that "the full social inclusion of deaf people is possible when sign language is recognized and used widely within the society." Below is a video (in ASL with English captions) where I describe what that statement means to me. I will also discuss why IWD is an important time for Deaf ministry organizations, such as DOOR international.

The importance of resources from Deaf people:Here's all the websites I mentioned and gathered information from. I encourage you to check them out and get an even broader perspective on this very important week for the global Deaf community. My perspective is limited by the fact that I am hearing. I highly encourage you to also look at these resources made by Deaf people for Deaf people!

I apologize for the delay in getting this video out. I filmed it several days ago, but it took me awhile to finish the captioning. I am working on getting more efficient with captioning and any tips are welcomed and will be much appreciated! I will continue to stick to my guns and not make any videos live without captions; if everyone doesn't get access at the same time, it's not equal access. And, if you've been following me for any length of time, you know I'm all about equal access! This is video number 2 in my series "The Chronic Chronicles". In the first video, I talked about what it's like living with Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome. In this video, I show you my supplies that help me have a better quality of life!

I've decided to get a new vlog series going. It's been awhile since I've done any vlogging, and I think it's about time I get back into it. This series, "The Chronic Chronicles", will discuss my experiences living with various chronic illnesses. This first video discusses what it's like to live with Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome (a rare, chronic disease with no known cure). These vlogs will be in ASL, but, even if you don't sign, I've got you covered. There will be an English transcript posted below the video here on the blog as well as in the comments section of the video on YouTube. Enjoy the new series and please feel free to ask questions or share any of your own experiences!

Transcript: Hi Everyone! Today I'm going to discuss a chronic illness that I have called Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome. That name is long, I know, here it is again. The short name is CVS, so I'll use that now. Ok, CVS sucks. You have probably never heard of CVS because it's rare and most doctors haven't even heard of it. I have gone to the doctor and told them "I have CVS" and they say "what's that?" and get very confused. It's very frustrating! I was born with CVS. When I was a baby, I had problems with vomiting. All babies do vomit, but mine was very severe. The doctor tried many different things, but none of them worked. My mom stopped breastfeeding and tried many different formulas, but that didn't work. I got diagnosed when I was 22 years old. Yes, for 22 years I had no name for my illness. A few doctors tried, but they couldn't come up with anything. What is CVS? It's kind of like migraines in your stomach; it's weird. It's also connected to migraines in your head; I have both. Sometimes, I have them at the same time, and sometimes they're separate. There is very little research done on CVS because it's rare and there's not a lot of funding. Nobody wants to pay for more research; it sucks! Some of the research has caused some doctors to think that CVS might be a mitochondrial disease. That makes sense to me because I'm always very tired, and mitochondrial diseases cause tiredness. Doctors used to think that only kids could have CVS, but that's not true. Now they know that adults can have it too. Sometimes kids grow out of it, but sometimes they don't. Like me; I've had it my whole life. What happens when I have a CVS attack? Obviously, one thing is vomiting. But, sometimes, if I take my medicine early enough, I can prevent the vomiting. I will still feel sick, but I won't vomit. It definitely helps some. Other symptoms include: headaches (like I said before, the headaches and the stomachaches are connected), nausea, pain in my arms and legs--especially my legs; they will hurt a lot! When my legs start hurting, I know I need my medicine because a CVS attack is coming. Also, my hands get really weak. I can't hold anything; my hands are useless. Also, my eyes are very sensitive to light. If I'm on the computer for a long time, sometimes I will get a headache and my eyes will get blurry. Also, this can happen if I am in a room with too much light or flashing lights. Then, I have to rest my eyes. Sometimes I use my eye mask to help my eyes rest. I'll show you. It's beautiful right? I got that at the dollar store! CVS in unpredictable. One week I will be fine and be doing all my normal activities: work, socializing, church, etc. Then, other weeks, I will be exhausted! I will nap in the afternoon for 4 hours sometimes when I'm having a CVS attack. If I'm sleeping that much, I know that an attack is coming and I need my medicine. I'm always more tired than most people, but sometimes it's worse, and I know an attack is coming. When I have a bad week, I can't leave the house much. I'll only do the things I have to do. I will go to work and then come back home and sleep, and that's it. No socializing, no going to the store, which is annoying, and I can't get any errands done, which is also annoying. My hope is that more people like me, living with CVS, will express their feelings and encourage more awareness so that people can get diagnosed sooner than I did. 22 years, wow! Now, I'm 27. Yeah, I've known for 5 years now. Also, I hope that the research can get more funding. I don't know if that sign (research) is conceptually accurate. Yeah, I wanted to share my chronic illness experience. Thanks for watching, bye!﻿​